| When considering touring Italy, most visitors probably | | | | era, sophistication and great beauty. The ancient heart |
| want to see the major cities of Florence, Rome, | | | | of the city contains a huge amphitheatre built by the |
| Venice. Without a doubt, these are the highlights for a | | | | Romans in the 1st century AD. This arena, one of the |
| reason. But smaller towns can provide a better | | | | largest outside of the Roman coliseum, is now |
| understanding of Italian history and offer their own | | | | restored and used as an opera house during the |
| fascination. These places were the backdrop for the | | | | summer season. It makes up one side of the Piazza |
| struggle for power that comprised much of the drama | | | | Bra, the gracious town square. The tourist information |
| of Italian history.Cremona, founded by the Romans in | | | | office is also located there.Even if you don't come |
| 218 BC, is quite simply the violin capital of the world. | | | | during the opera season, there is the lure of romance |
| The streets are lined with the shops of makers of all | | | | at 23 Via Cappello, Juliet's House. The story of Romeo |
| manner of stringed instruments. You can see a | | | | and Juliet has some basis in truth. The house and its |
| demonstration of violin-making and make a visit to the | | | | balcony form a popular attraction. Verona also has |
| collezione di Palazzo Comunale where the town | | | | intimate street markets lined with buildings still showing |
| collection is on display. These beloved instruments - the | | | | their early frescoes (Piazza delle Erbe) and elegant |
| oldest by Andrea Amati dates back to 1566 - are | | | | shopping streets paved with marble (Via |
| played regularly to keep them in good physical | | | | Mazzini).Called the capital of the Este family, who |
| condition.It's hard to miss the town's connection with | | | | flourished around the 13th to 15th centuries, Ferrara is |
| Stradivarius, who is perhaps the most famous of the | | | | famous for its wide streets and Renaissance palaces. |
| illustrious line of violin-makers of Cremona. The | | | | Originally a medieval town, by the end of the 1400s the |
| Stradivarian Museum contains objects from his | | | | city was sufficiently prosperous that Duke Ercole I |
| workshop, there's a statue to him on the Piazza | | | | commissioned an architect to create a new |
| Stradivari and there's the Tomb of Stradivari in the | | | | Renaissance city and join it to the older medieval |
| Piazza Roma. The International Violinmakers School is | | | | section. The project included constructing new palaces, |
| also located in Cremona at the Palazzo Raimondi. If | | | | villas and parks with a clearly more modern and airy |
| you aren't on a tour, your first stop should be the | | | | feel. Here again, try to arrange for a tour of the |
| tourist information office in the Piazza del Comune, for | | | | castles. It is the history, the stories of the people who |
| a map and information.Parma is the next stop and it is | | | | lived, loved and fought that brings meaning to these |
| indeed the home of the famed Parma ham and | | | | stone buildings.Ferrara is best known for its University |
| Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Although famous for its | | | | founded in 1222, among the oldest in Europe and the |
| food, Parma was once the capital of a grand duchy | | | | Scrovegni Chapel with its frescoes produced by the |
| ruled over by the Farnese family. It was, for a time, a | | | | artist Giotto. There are 36 frescoes depicting the lives |
| possession of Austria. It is also known for a scent | | | | of Mary and Jesus. Plant lovers will probably want to |
| produced locally, Violetta di Parma.The town | | | | visit the Botanical Garden founded in 1545 containing |
| associated with the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi | | | | rare plants and the old library and botany collection of |
| is Roncole where he was born. It has since changed | | | | the University.Without a doubt, Venice deserves its |
| its name to Roncole-Verdi in his honor. His home is the | | | | reputation. It is a heart-breakingly beautiful city. Built on |
| main attraction of the tiny village. His professional | | | | 117 separate islands, Venice has an extensive water |
| career began when Antonio Barezzi, a wealthy | | | | bus system (as well as water taxis) rather than |
| merchant, asked him to move to Busseto and become | | | | ground transportation. It has narrow paths, houses |
| a music teacher for his daughter, Margherita. Barezzi | | | | whose front doors literally open onto the water and no |
| became not only Verdi's patron, but also his | | | | cars and around every corner is a canal and a bridge |
| father-in-law when Verdi married Margherita in 1836. A | | | | and one magnificent building after another. But it is also |
| monument to Verdi overlooks the town square, which | | | | a tourist magnet with all the problems that go with that |
| is also the site of the annual Verdi Festival. There is, of | | | | popularity.The cruise ships pull in and disgorge |
| course, a museum to the famous son and a tiny gem | | | | thousands of visitors who line up to visit St. Mark's |
| of a theatre built in his honor. It is said that Verdi never | | | | Basilica, buy gelato in the Piazza San Marco and stroll |
| actually set foot in the theater which opened in 1868. | | | | along the Grand Canal. And for some reason you |
| Verdi was against building it, saying the theater was | | | | won't be able to understand, they like to feed the |
| too expensive and would be useless in the future. But | | | | pigeons and have their picture taken covered in birds. |
| the town fathers went ahead regardless of his | | | | Venice is also a big city with the hustle and bustle of |
| resistance. He was absent at its opening even though | | | | commerce. Part of that commerce is the lucrative |
| one of his most famous operas, Rigoletto, was | | | | tourist trade. There's no shortage of shops catering to |
| performed. The elegant theater has been restored and | | | | visitors selling Venetian masks, Murano glass and |
| reopened, but in a sense Verdi was right. It only holds | | | | more.Venice is divided into sestieres or boroughs. The |
| 300 people.As you journey from one city to another, it | | | | most famous is San Marco which contains the major |
| soon becomes clear that the history of Italy is | | | | sights. Visit the Galleria dell'Academia with its collection |
| intertwined with the story of the Gonzagas, one of the | | | | of Venetian masters and the Peggy Guggenheim |
| richest and most powerful families. Mantova was the | | | | Gallery with its more modern works. Stand near the |
| seat of that dynasty. The 500-room Ducal Palace | | | | Bridge of Sighs that links the Doges' Palace to the old |
| (Palazzo Ducale) took centuries to build. The Palazzo | | | | prisons.The pity of Venice is that it is sinking into the |
| Te, built by Federigo Gonzaga for his mistress, stands | | | | lagoon. During rains the water can rise up and cover |
| outside of the walled part of the city. Mantova has | | | | the piazzas, seep into hotel lobbies and threaten the |
| ancient stone churches, many small shops, lovely | | | | viability of a beautiful marvel of engineering. And in the |
| squares and sidewalk cafes.If it isn't already, Verona | | | | summer it is overrun with tourists. But see it anyway. It |
| may become your favorite city. It has everything, | | | | is worth it. |
| tumultuous history, ruins stretching back to the Roman | | | | |